Book — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun adjective verb /ˈbu̇k/

Meaning & Definition of Book

Book (noun)

  1. a set of written sheets of skin or paper or tablets of wood or ivory
  2. a set of written, printed, or blank sheets bound together between a front and back cover
  3. a long written or printed literary composition

Book (adjective)

  1. derived from books and not from practical experience
  2. shown by ledgers

Book (verb)

  1. to register (something, such as a name) for some future activity or condition (as to engage transportation or reserve lodgings)
  2. to schedule engagements for
  3. to set aside time for

Book (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a set of printed sheets of paper bound together between covers and forming a work of fiction or nonfiction

    "I bought another new book yesterday, and I can't wait to read it"

    similar: tome, volume
    related: hardback, hardcover, paper, paperback, paperbound, pocket book, pocket edition, softback, softcover, trade book, trade edition, folio, quarto, guidebook, handbook, how-to, manual, catalog, cyclopedia, dictionary, encyclopedia, monograph, primer, text, textbook, tract, treatise, novel, novelette, pulp, album, almanac, anthology, casebook, chapbook, omnibus, picture book

  2. a book made up of the writings accepted by Christians as coming from God

    "offered to swear on the Book that everything had happened just as he said"

    similar: Bible, Good Book, Holy Writ, Scripture
    related: Polyglot

  3. a publication that appears at regular intervals

    "older people in these parts still tend to call a magazine a book"

    similar: bulletin, diurnal, gazette, journal, mag, magazine, newspaper, organ, paper, periodical, rag, review, serial, zine
    related: annual, bimonthly, biweekly, daily, monthly, quarterly, semimonthly, semiweekly, triweekly, weekly, yearbook, digest, little magazine, fanzine, pictorial, slick, broadside, edition, extra, sheet, supplement, tab, tabloid, newsletter, newsmagazine, newsweekly

  4. information not generally available to the public

    "what's the book on the new company president?"

    similar: 411 (slang), dope, inside, lowdown, poop (slang), scoop, skinny (slang), tip
    related: dirt, dish, gossip, rumor, story, hint, pointer, information, intelligence, news, tidings, word
    near: ancient history, open secret

Book (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to arrange to have something (as a hotel room) held for one's future use

    "we booked a conference room for the meeting next week"

    similar: bespeak, reserve
    related: earmark, contract, engage, hire, retain

  2. to leave a place often for another

    "I'm running late, so I've got to book"

    similar: bail, bail out, begone, bug off, bug out, bugger off (British slang), buzz (off), clear off (chiefly British), clear out, cut out, depart, dig out, exit, get, get off, go, go off, move, pack (up or off), part, peel off, pike (out or off), pull out, push off, push on, quit, run along, sally (forth), scarper (British), shove (off), step (along), take off, vamoose, walk out, beat it, hit the road, pull stakes, take a hike, take a powder
    related: set out, start, strike out, abscond, decamp, escape, evacuate, flee, fly, get out, mizzle (chiefly British), run away, scat, scram, skip, go out, light out, step out, abandon, desert, forsake, vacate, emigrate, adjourn, remove, retire, retreat, withdraw
    opposite: arrive, come, show up, turn up
    near: abide, dwell, lodge, remain, settle, stay, tarry, approach, close, near, hit, land, reach

Related Entry: Closed book (noun)

Closed book is a different word from Book. The synonyms below are for closed book, not for Book.

  1. something hard to understand or explain

    "the couple's unorthodox marriage is definitely a closed book to those outside of the relationship"

    similar: conundrum, enigma, head-scratcher, mystery, mystification, puzzle, puzzlement, riddle, secret, why
    related: brainteaser, case, challenge, knot, matter, perplexity, poser, problem, stumper, trouble

Related Entry: Good Book (noun)

Good Book is a different word from Book. The synonyms below are for Good Book, not for Book.

  1. a book made up of the writings accepted by Christians as coming from God

    "what does the Good Book say about temptation?"

    similar: Bible, Book, Holy Writ, Scripture
    related: Polyglot

Related Entry: Picture-book (adjective)

Picture-book is a different word from Book. The synonyms below are for picture-book, not for Book.

  1. being entirely without fault or flaw

    "the players gave a picture-book performance that will go down in the annals of football as one of the all-time great games"

    similar: absolute, faultless, flawless, ideal, immaculate, impeccable, indefectible, irreproachable, letter-perfect, perfect, picture-perfect, seamless, unblemished
    related: consummate, expert, masterly, classic, dandy, excellent, fabulous, fine, first-class, first-rate, grand, great, marvelous, prime, superb, superior, superlative, terrific, top, top-notch, unsurpassed, completed, finished, perfected, polished, complete, entire, intact, whole, mint, unbruised, undamaged, unimpaired, uninjured, unmarred, unspoiled, exceptional, fancy, high-grade, special, airtight, bulletproof, accurate, correct, exact, precise, inerrant, infallible, unerring, unfailing
    opposite: amiss, bad, censurable, defective, faulty, flawed, imperfect, reproachable
    near: deficient, inadequate, incomplete, insufficient, wanting, unfinished, unpolished, fallible, blemished, blighted, broken, damaged, defaced, disfigured, impaired, injured, malformed, marred, misshapen, spoiled, vitiated, atrocious, execrable, wretched, imprecise, inaccurate, incorrect, inexact, wrong

Related Entry: Comic book (noun)

Comic book is a different word from Book. The synonyms below are for comic book, not for Book.

  1. as in graphic novel, funny paper(s)

    similar: funny paper(s), graphic novel, cartoon, comic, comic strip, funny, strip, animated cartoon, animation, caricature

  2. as in album, picture book

    similar: album, almanac, anthology, casebook, chapbook, omnibus, picture book, novel, novelette, pulp, composition, number, opus, piece, work, monograph, primer, text, textbook, tract, treatise, collectanea, compendium, compilation, florilegium, miscellany, reader, cyclopedia, dictionary, encyclopedia, brochure, circular, flyer, folder, leaflet, pamphlet, guidebook, handbook, how-to, instructions, manual, dodger, flysheet, handbill, handout, throwaway, folio, quarto

Related Entry: Picture book (noun)

Picture book is a different word from Book. The synonyms below are for picture book, not for Book.

  1. as in album, anthology

    similar: album, almanac, anthology, casebook, chapbook, omnibus, novel, novelette, pulp, monograph, primer, text, textbook, tract, treatise, catalog, cyclopedia, dictionary, encyclopedia, guidebook, handbook, how-to, manual, folio, quarto, hardback, hardcover, paper, paperback, paperbound, pocket book, pocket edition, softback, softcover, trade book, trade edition, book, tome, volume

Related Entry: Pocket book (noun)

Pocket book is a different word from Book. The synonyms below are for pocket book, not for Book.

  1. as in paper, pocket edition

    similar: hardback, hardcover, paper, paperback, paperbound, pocket edition, softback, softcover, trade book, trade edition, book, tome, volume, folio, quarto, guidebook, handbook, how-to, manual, catalog, cyclopedia, dictionary, encyclopedia, monograph, primer, text, textbook, tract, treatise, novel, novelette, pulp, album, almanac, anthology, casebook, chapbook, omnibus, picture book

Related Entry: Trade book (noun)

Trade book is a different word from Book. The synonyms below are for trade book, not for Book.

  1. as in paper, trade edition

    similar: hardback, hardcover, paper, paperback, paperbound, pocket book, pocket edition, softback, softcover, trade edition, book, tome, volume, folio, quarto, guidebook, handbook, how-to, manual, catalog, cyclopedia, dictionary, encyclopedia, monograph, primer, text, textbook, tract, treatise, novel, novelette, pulp, album, almanac, anthology, casebook, chapbook, omnibus, picture book

Related Entry: Bring (verb)

Bring is a different word from Book. The synonyms below are for bring, not for Book.

  1. to be the cause of (a situation, action, or state of mind)

    "in the end, the lawsuit brought distress to everyone, including the plaintiff"

    similar: beget, breed, bring about, bring on, catalyze, cause, create, do, draw on, effect, effectuate, engender, generate, induce, invoke, make, occasion, produce, prompt, result (in), spawn, translate (into), work, yield, bring forth, give rise to
    related: conduce (to), contribute (to), decide, determine, begin, establish, father, found, inaugurate, initiate, innovate, institute, introduce, launch, pioneer, set, set up, start, advance, cultivate, develop, encourage, forward, foster, further, nourish, nurture, promote, enact, render, turn out
    near: impede, limit, restrict, clamp down (on), crack down (on), crush, dampen, put down, quash, quell, repress, smother, squash, squelch, stifle, subdue, suppress, arrest, check, control, curb, inhibit, rein (in), restrain, retard, can (slang), kill, snuff (out), still, abolish, demolish, destroy, extinguish, liquidate, quench

  2. to cause (someone) to agree with a belief or course of action by using arguments or earnest request

    "nothing will ever bring her to admit she's wrong"

    similar: argue, bring around, convert, convince, gain, get, induce, move, persuade, prevail (on or upon), satisfy, talk (into), win (over)
    related: blandish, blarney, cajole, coax, entreat, exhort, fast-talk, urge, wheedle, allure, beguile, lead on, lure, seduce, snow, tempt, brainwash, overpersuade, incline, influence, prompt, sell, sway, attract, draw, entice, interest, chew over, converse, debate, discuss, dispute, hash (over), moot, reason (with)
    near: deter, discourage, dissuade, unsell

  3. to have a price of

    "the antique will probably bring at least $1000 at auction"

    similar: cost, fetch, go (for), run, sell (for)
    related: list (for), amount (to), come (to), total, command, exact, ask, demand

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Book

The most common words with a similar meaning to Book:

Slang: 411, poop, skinny
British slang: bugger off
Chiefly British: clear off
British: scarper
tome, volume, Bible, Good Book, Holy Writ, Scripture, bulletin, diurnal, gazette, journal, mag, magazine, newspaper, organ, paper, periodical, rag, review, serial, zine, dope, inside, lowdown, scoop, tip, bespeak, reserve, bail, bail out, begone, bug off, bug out, buzz (off), clear out, cut out, depart, dig out, exit, get, get off

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Book

Words with the opposite meaning of Book:

arrive, come, show up, turn up

Related Words for Book

hardback, hardcover, paperback, paperbound, pocket book, pocket edition, softback, softcover, trade book, trade edition, folio, quarto, guidebook, handbook, how-to, manual, catalog, cyclopedia, dictionary, encyclopedia, monograph, primer, text, textbook, tract, treatise, novel, novelette, pulp, album

Near Antonyms of Book

ancient history, open secret, abide, dwell, lodge, remain, settle, stay, tarry, approach, close, near, hit, land, reach

Word Forms of Book

Inflections: booked, booking, books

Derived words: bookful (noun), bookable (adjective), booker (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Book

Middle English, from Old English bōc; akin to Old High German buoh book, Goth boka letter

First known use: before 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Book

Words & Phrases Containing Book

book bag, book club, book louse, book lung, book-match, Book of Common Prayer, book off

Frequently Asked Questions about Book

What does "Book" mean?

"Book" means a set of written sheets of skin or paper or tablets of wood or ivory. As an a noun, an adjective and a verb, it is defined as: a set of written sheets of skin or paper or tablets of wood or ivory. It has 6 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Book"?

Other words for "Book" include tome, volume, Bible, Good Book, Holy Writ, Scripture, bulletin and diurnal. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Book" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Book"?

There are 177 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Book". Common alternatives include tome, volume, Bible, Good Book, Holy Writ, Scripture, bulletin, diurnal, gazette and journal.

What is a slang word for "Book"?

Slang words for "Book" include 411, poop, skinny and bugger off.

What is the opposite of "Book"?

Antonyms of "Book" include arrive, come, show up and turn up. Near antonyms include ancient history, open secret, abide and dwell.

How do you use "Book" in a sentence?

Examples of "Book" in a sentence: "I bought another new book yesterday, and I can't wait to read it"; "offered to swear on the Book that everything had happened just as he said"; "older people in these parts still tend to call a magazine a book".

Is "Book" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Book" can be used as a noun, an adjective and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Book" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A1-level word, "Book" is typical of Cambridge A1 Movers (Young Learners), TOEIC Listening & Reading 120+.